Start With Why book coverStart With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action opens with the following quote by its author Simon Sinek:

 

“There are leaders and there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power or influence. Those who lead inspire us.

Whether individuals or organizations, we follow those who lead not because we have to, but because we want to. We follow those who lead not for them, but for ourselves.

This is a book for those who want to inspire others and for those who want to find someone to inspire them.”

 

Start With Why is written for those who want to truly lead. Using his “Golden Circle” concept Sinek helps readers learn to think, act, and communicate in ways that inspire others.

Start With Why Graphic

The Golden Circle is composed of three concentric circles. The outer ring covers the WHAT and focuses on the things performed by you or your company.  In the middle circle, HOW is the way the WHAT gets done.  The most important and often neglected part of the Circle is the WHY.  WHY gets to the heart of the matter by providing the purpose, reason, or conviction of an individual or company. It is easy for most people to describe WHAT they do or WHAT their company does and HOW they go about doing it. It is the WHY that is often difficult to articulate.

 

Since WHY is difficult express, most people and companies communicate from the outside in by speaking about WHAT and HOW.  “I’m in Human Resources and we use surveys to better engage our employees and customers.”  Or, “we sell electronics online in order to keep costs low.”  Pretty boring stuff, huh?

 

In the Golden Circle, WHY is at the core and it gives meaning to HOW and WHAT. WHY is where passion is conveyed. “WHY are you in your current occupation?” “WHY was the company founded?”  It is the WHY that provides the opportunity to connect with and inspire others to support you or your company. For me, “I want to rid the world of bad and ineffective managers so I help companies and their employees succeed by focusing on how frontline and middle managers engage, manage, and develop their employees.”

 

My WHY: Ridding the world of bad and ineffective managers

My HOW: Focus on how frontline and middle managers engage, manage, and develop employees

My WHAT: Help companies and their employees succeed

 

We can all relate to the pain we’ve experienced as a result of bad or ineffective managers. If you came across a company or individual with this WHY, it would certainly catch your attention and make you want to know more. It is more engaging than if you were to only talk about the WHAT and HOW.

 

To illustrate the importance of WHY, the book presents many comparisons of individuals and companies that work to articulate their WHY and those that only offer WHAT and HOW. It offers practical and easily applicable advice that will help you to better engage your employees and customers. Add it to your reading list. And, as I’ve mentioned in Patience and Fortitude, a previous post, remember to take advantage of your local library: it is a valuable resource that is often under-utilized in most communities.

 

I’ve been guilty of a WHAT/HOW focus.  Now, I try to approach conversations differently by “starting with WHY.” If you want to become an inspired leader, you must think, act, and communicate from the inside out. Start with Why! Remember, people don‘t buy WHAT you do; they buy WHY you do it.

 

What are your thoughts on Start With Why? What other information or observations from the book can you share with fellow Agents?

 

 

P.S. – First time here? Welcome to the Agent In Engagement site. Thanks for taking the time to stop by!  I hope you’ll explore the rest of the site. Let me know what employee engagement topics interest you.

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Let’s Get Engaged!

I’m Agent in Engagement Simpson…Gregory Simpson.

As an Agent in Engagement, my mission is to help companies and their employees succeed by focusing on how frontline and middle managers engage, manage, and develop their direct reports.

After years in the field, the consulting field, where I created award-winning employee engagement work for Fortune 150 clients, I’m looking forward to returning to headquarters where I’ll to continue to battle every company’s greatest nemesis, employee disengagement.

 

I’m excited about this opportunity to connect with fellow “Agents.” Subscribe to the RSS Feed to receive the latest updates and/or register  to comment on posts.

You can follow me @agtinengagement, email me at g…@a…t.com or learn more about me at www.gregoryfsimpson.com.